Overview
- Saturday’s local council election in Deir al-Balah marked the first ballot in Gaza since the 2006 legislative vote.
- Candidates were required to accept Palestinian Liberation Organization guidelines, including recognizing Israel, which effectively excluded formal Hamas participation.
- Hamas did not publicly field candidates and said it would respect the results, and one list included a figure linked to a Hamas-related group, according to Reuters.
- About 70,000 people were eligible to choose one of four 15-member lists to run the municipality, with results expected Sunday.
- Voting in Gaza was limited to Deir al-Balah, while the West Bank held wider local polls and East Jerusalem’s vote was postponed, and campaigns focused on rebuilding and jobs as many residents voiced doubts a council can deliver real change.